Monday, August 6, 2012

The 1884 Maroons: A Rank Decision

Umpire Seward kindly presented the St. Louis Club with the game to-day, to the great disgust of the spectators. Owing to the rain-storm that occurred about noon the attendance at Athletic Park was not up to the standard, there being only about 500 spectators present, but they were more fully paid by a close and exciting game which was fairly won by the home team,. although, through a rank decision of Umpire Seward, the St. Louis team were given the game by a score of 6 to 4, the champions being compelled to play the tenth inning. At the opening of the ninth inning the score was 4 to 3 in favor of St. Louis. The Lucas sluggers were retired consecutively as they came to the bat, and Black opened the ball for the local team with a hard drive for two bases and scored on Oberbeck got to second on a close decision. Voss followed with a beautiful hit to right center, one which Oberbeck scored fairly, without any shadow of a doubt and thus won the game, but Umpire Seward decided him out, apparently to even up on his close decision in Overbeck's favor at second. The audience rose to a man, as it was plain to be seen that Overbeck's left foot had trod the plate before he was touched on the right leg by Brennan, and a perfect howl of disgust and execretion went up from the crowd. The side being retired and the score a tie, the tenth inning was commenced, and Voss, seeming to lose heart after Seward's decision, was hit hard for 2 earned runs, Rowe leading with a single and scoring 1 on Boyle's two-bagger, the latter also making the circuit on sacrifices by Sweeny and Quinn. The home team were blanked, Baldwin leading off with a nice clean hit over second, Strauss and Strief both flying out to Sweeny, and Cudworth to Rowe. The features of the game were the batting of Black of the home team and Rowe for the visitors. Cudworth played a perfect game at first and got a hit. the outfield work of the home team excelled that of the visitors and the infield was fully as good, and Voss was decidedly more effective in the pitcher's box than Werden.

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The goal of this blog is to tell the story of the history of 19th century St. Louis baseball and to serve as a resource for 19th century baseball researchers. It is, essentially, an online research journal. If you have any comments, criticisms or suggestions, feel free to contact me at thisgameofgames@gmail.com.

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"Baseball is the very symbol, the outward and visible expression of the drive and push and rush and struggle of the raging, tearing, booming nineteenth century." Mark Twain, 1889.